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During the 2018 Teach Them Diligently conventions across the southeast, I was given the privilege to speak to men about homeschooling. Yet during this time, I was curious about what other dads were thinking and struggling within the homeschool life. Well, they wrote down some questions and I told them I would answer them. They cover all kinds of subjects and areas, so get ready for “Answers from the Husband of a Homeschooling Mom”

Today the question comes from Allen!

“Other than reading the Bible and praying together, how do you provide spiritually for your family?“

Well, Allen, you asked a great question that many men face daily. Men will start out wanting to be a leader in the family and provide spiritually for them every step of the way. Devotions are done, Bible readings are started, and then life starts creeping back into the old routine. The devotions and Bible times start slipping away. They go from being a daily event to a weekly and then a monthly and then disappear completely! I will admit something to you Allen, it happens in my house.

So what is a dad to do? Well here are a few things that you and dads just like you can do Allen. These are not substitutes for Bible reading and praying together as a family. Do that as much as you can! However, when Jesus was walking about in His time of ministry there are some things that He did with His disciples.

Protect your family from what is considered evil.
The world has its idea of what is evil, and so does God. In church I teach the kids a simple way to tell what is evil or sin. “It is whatever we think, we say, or whatever we do that goes against God’s word.” It is not up to my interpretation, I place it against God’s word. If it is against it, it’s evil. If I am trying to justify it and make it align with God’s word, it’s evil. Take time to look at your house and your goings and protect your family. Which leads into #2.

Set some spiritual goals for your family and you as well.
We set goals for our work, our life, and anything else that we want to achieve. Why not do the same thing when it comes to our family’s spiritual growth? Set some goals like personal daily reading. Maybe doing a devotional book with your family where you all go through the same book. Set a goal each Sunday afternoon to discuss what you have done that week. You never know when what you have read that day will provide you with a chance to share with your family. Thus providing a perfect time and way to provide spiritually.

Check up with your family and see where they are spiritually.
We take our kids to the doctor for a check-up. We give them a test to see where they are in their education. Why not just sit down with them on a one-on-one time and talk to them? Take some time while your driving down the road and do some brain picking. Talk to your kids and see where they are. Bring up some Bible verses, maybe from your personal daily reading, and talk to them about it. Ask what they think about the verses and discuss them.

Show a fathers love toward your kids.
One of the hardest thing for some dads to do is show affection toward their kids. The man has to be strong and show no sign of weakness! Hugs and kisses are for sissies! No, they are for your family!! To the rest of the world, you can be the terminator, but to your family, you need to show love. One thing I will always remember about my dad is that he would give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek no matter who was around. We as dads need to be able to show that kind of love, a Christ-like love, to our family. In private and in public.

Never give up Allen! (and anyone else reading.)
You can never give up no matter how you feel, what you want, or what anyone else is doing. You are the dad, and the buck stops with you in the house. A few years back I did a quick series on “The Race” I cover how the dad is in a race and you can not quit. As much as you may want, you can not.

Allen, I hope that this has provided a bit of insight into what you were looking for. To me the most important thing is the last one, NEVER GIVE UP! I get that you may be traveling with the job, or working late hours, or bringing work home. That time that was carved out for family Bible or prayer time gets filled in with other things. If you can, bring it back! If you stopped and have no reason, start it up again. But never give up Allen!